British Rail Class 398
Electric multiple unit train in South Wales
The Class 398 Citylink is a fleet of 36 tram-train multiple units built for Transport for Wales Rail by Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail.
The units are equipped with traction battery packages, allowing them to operate over non-electrified sections of track in addition to those with 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead supplies.
01History
The Wales & Borders rail franchise was awarded to KeolisAmey Wales in May 2018 and commenced on 14 October 2018. The franchise award included a requirement that the operator perform a full replacement of its fleets; as part of which process an order was placed with Stadler for delivery by 2023 of 36 tram-train units that would be capable of running on existing lines and also under battery power on the streets of Cardiff.
All units are three-car and are able to be coupled together to form a six-car train. Each unit has a maximum passenger capacity of 256, and the units have level boarding, as well as space for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles. All seats have access to three-pin AC and USB-A DC power sockets.
The first unit to arrive in the UK was 398001 in May 2022, delivered from the Valencia works to the Rail Innovation & Development Centre in Melton, Leicestershire for testing on the Old Dalby Test Track.
The first unit was delivered to Taffs Well depot on 21 March 2023.
The first unit entered service on 23 June 2026, on services to Pontypridd and on the Cardiff Bay branch.
02Operator
Transport for Wales Rail Class 398 units will operate services on the Rhondda, Merthyr and Cardiff City lines, and the Cardiff Bay Branch.
03Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 398 | Transport for Wales Rail | 36 | 2020-2023 | 3 | 398001, 398036 |
Illustration
Named unit
Unit 398028 is named Myddfai.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “British Rail Class 398”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- TfW Rail 398024 at Cardiff Bay 1 July 2026.jpg by Anamyd, CC BY 4.0
- Mock up of the outside of a Class 398 tram-train.jpg by Kalamikid, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mock up of the inside of a Class 398 tram-train (cropped).jpg by Kalamikid (original photo), Anamyd (crop/edit), CC BY-SA 4.0
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